On the offensive side…

• It’s gonna be a little difficult to cut David Fales now. After a slow start, Fales looked pretty good. Of course, you have to consider who he was going against, but he threw the ball well and moved well out of the pocket. He probably isn’t going to be a starting quarterback, but it’s hard to find even adequate backups and Fales has that potential. What do they have to lose by keeping him around? Is there really that big of a difference between Fales and Jimmy Clausen?

• Not playing Zac Dysert until late in the game makes sense if the Bears know what they have and he has a roster spot locked up. If not, why sign him in the first place?

• I don’t care what Ka’Deem Carey does against fourth and fifth-string defenders in the fourth quarter of the fourth preseason game. He’s not likely to see a carry during the regular season. It’s hard to make an argument that he should stay on the active roster.

• If Marc Mariani were on the Patriots, he’d catch 60 passes and six touchdowns every year.

• Jeremy Langford needs to get stronger but he’s got good vision and good speed. He can help them this year.

On the defensive side…

• A lot of praise for Mason Foster, but after watching the game for a second time, I saw a sloppy player. He missed two tackles in the first quarter, both of which he came in out of control and whiffed. He almost missed a third in the backfield, but was able to bring Terrance West down for a tackle for a loss. Does that tackle happen against legitimate NFL competition?

• I expect Foster, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston to dominate in a situation like that.

• Jon Bostic had a bad night. He didn’t play, but the other inside linebackers all made more plays than Bostic has all preseason. Bostic isn’t healthy, the Bears need to convince him to go on IR this year and try again next year. He’s better than he has shown.

• Why didn’t Terry Williams get more reps in preseason? The Bears might need him in Week 1 if Eddie Goldman is out.

• We saw more blitzes and creativity from Vic Fangio in this game than in any other.

Since you wasted your first, let me 2nd the wait and see on roster cuts but on the qb situation? With this team, I expect to see 3 QB’s since we have no clear cut backup. Does that help?

MB30SD

Someone woke up all snippy this morning. Haha

Trac

Just messin with phantom 505. Hee hee.

505Bears

In the words of Smokey…Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!!! HAHA, Trac busting balls like Louisville Slugger!!

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

I think we’ll see 3 QBs at first due to Clausen not clearing concussion tests yet. Need an active backup for week 1 if Clausen can’t go.

Irish Sweetness

Fales is a baller.

willbest

We are going to need 3 QBs. With our o-line Jay will be lucky to play 12 games this year, and Pickles seems to get a concussion if you let him play more than 15 snaps.

Carey is gone. Though I won’t be surprised if he ends up being a solid NFL player someplace else. Not expecting him to go tear it up but definitely worthy of 10-12 touches a game someplace.

The GP

definitely worthy of 10-12 touches a game someplace.

No.

BerwynBomber

One bad offensive lineman should not sabotage an entire offense. Remember, Mills basically started the entire year in ’13 and we led the NFC in points scored per game.

The bigger concern will be if Royal and Alshon can’t get healthy, although one silver lining there would be to get a longer look at Mariani and Lawrence, though of course our O would be really up against it.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

the problem isn’t just Mills, it’s that Bushrod hasn’t been serviceable since about week 4 last year.

BerwynBomber

Valid point about Bushrod. The Hubster claims that Bushrod is still recovering from his back surgery and isn’t where the coaching staff had hoped. Hubster also claimed that, when healthy, Bushrod is the second best OL we have.

willbest

The idea that RGIII ends up on the Bears as is being pitched by the media blows my mind.

1) the ACL did him wrong, and he hasn’t compensated by improving his pocket passing ability. He is destined for backup status.

2) He had so much success his first year that I am not convinced he has been sufficiently humbled to accept the role of backup QB and thus he will be a locker room problem.

Trac

Garage sale on RG? No tankie!

BerwynBomber

Haven’t heard this yet, but yeah the only way I would want RG3 is if we could unload the last two years of Cutty for him — IIRC, RG3 is in the final year of his contract.

But I will say this, from a distant perspective, of JGruden/Snyder/RG3, I think the latter has come off best in the media this summer.

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

From most accounts, RG3 is a douche. His teammates don’t like and even worse, might not respect him as a person, much less leader. He has a big arm but little pocket awareness and erratic accuracy. He can move, but is inj prone. He doesn’t do the little things to fulfill his god given potential.

lot of young guys on the DL showed promise this PS. Let them stick around.

Signing a vet like that is a move for a contending team. That team is not the Bears (who won’t be terrible but won’t be particularly good either IMO)

AlbertInTucson

Define “Not Terrible”.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

not as bad as last year, where almost all of their losses are blowouts. I’m guessing somewhere in the 6 or 7 win range, but a lot of close defeats instead of 20-30 point ass kickings.

AlbertInTucson

That’ll be a surprise to me.

I don’t think they have the horses for 7 wins.

Litmus test for me comes early.

Rodgers marches right down Soldier Field next Sunday on his first possession , even with Nelson and maybe even Cobb in street clothes. If they don’t win the toss, it follows a Bears 3 and out or, worse, a turnover.

NOW you know what “Pessimism” looks like.

MB30SD

Al, you need just a little cup of koolaid this year.

It’s rodgers. This team won’t be able to stop him, but I agree with Jon. We won’t be an embarrassment again. they’re going to beat us with room to spare, but we will put in a respectable game.

“Is there really that big of a difference between Fales and Jimmy Clausen?”

Well, there is a huge difference in terms of experience but it comes down to Fales’ upside vs. Clausen’s known ceiling. Probably most fans wouldn’t care if Pickles was shown the door. In a small way, indicates that Pox are thinking more about the future than this year.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

“We saw more blitzes and creativity from Vic Fangio in this game than in any other.”

That confused me. O showed more schematically too, trying some creative formations, misdirections, and rollouts to create easy separation and targets for the QB. Didn’t see much of that in the first 3 weeks on either side of the ball.

AlbertInTucson

Desperation setting in with the new staff?

MB30SD

awwww… come on Al. We haven’t even seen a real game played yet.

I seriously doubt Pace and Fox’s staff think this year is going to be anything but a rebuilding and identity building year

AlbertInTucson

After 50+ years, a patience threshold ain’t so good.

And that “5 playoff appearances in the last 23 years” stat really hit home.

MB30SD

totally get it, but still. new regime. give home boy at least one full year.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

given how few teams make the playoffs (and how that’s changed over the last 23 years), I’d guess that’s not too far below average, but i’d have to look up number of teams in playoffs and NFL for each year in that time span to do the exact calculation, and I just don’t care that much

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

I doubt it. Fox is FAR too experienced to care that much about preseason, and he knows his job is safe since he was just hired.

My guess is they wanted to throw a few wrinkles in there for 3 reasons:

1) See which of the fringe roster guys could handle it mentally in case they get pushed into action this year. You don’t want your backups incapable of coming in and executing mentally or physically.

2) See which of the fringe roster guys excel in specific situations you might try to put them in during the season, instead of seeing how they do in generic base looks.

3) Give GB something to think about. I’m guessing what they showed is probably stuff they want Green Bay to prepare for so they can then show the same look but do something different and hopefully catch Green Bay off guard.

Dude took our passports right when we got off the plane. Then took us through the rebooking process and only “gave” them back to us after we’d paid the “official” “Passport control” “fee”. This “official” process took 3 hours. SMFH.

At least he didn’t try to get us to put up a “booking fee” in order to later claim the $22,000,000 lost bank account left by a sumatran prince. Entire country of dodgy fuckers.

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

Whyyyyy in dee world did you visit Nigeria? Lose a bet? Where you scouting for safeties for the bears?

Johnnywad

I thought it was just DT’s that came from Nigeria. They have safeties too?

Waffle

your brother is an officer in the Nigerian army?

MB30SD

he’s the guy with the south african rugby jersey on in the foreground

Waffle

yeah………….

AlbertInTucson

World health organization has declared Nigeria “Ebola Free”.

Of course, that’s the 2nd time they’ve done so in a year.

Trac

Them Nigerians can run.

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

Alright, this is serious. I need a “cover girl” for my 200Points! award in FF.
Last year I went with tried-and-true Kate Upton, but I’m a dude. Need variety.

Also, we find out that Sony had a scene where Roger Goodell, played by Luke Wilson, holds up brain scans and starts laughing to himself. But that got shitcanned.

Also, a scene where Paul Tagliabue, played by some unknown character actor, throws the New York Times article on head injuries on Goodell’s desk and says something to the effect of “it’s your problem now”. They axed that because it didn’t happen, and the timeline was wrong. Taggy quit in 2006.

Also of note, the film actually ends – as in the final scene – with Duerson killing himself and writing the note.

I hope they get that god damn movie right. If art sucks, it merely becomes propaganda, and that’s never as effective.

AlbertInTucson

“They axed that because it didn’t happen,”

Oliver Stone must not be directing or “..didn’t happen>” wouldn’t have been a consideration.

The GP

He’s doing the Snowden bio pic

Trac

God help us when the country turns to Hollywood for the truth.

Oh and by the way, they wouldn’t make this film if they didn’t think they could make some money along the way. It’s kinda sickening all the way around.

I’d love for the league to come clean really, but it ain’t gonna happen this way. If you think about it, it just gives dodgy and his lawyers an opportunity cry foul because you just know Hollywood’s gonna twist the facts to sell tickets.

Irish Sweetness

If it wasn’t for Hollywood, I wouldn’t have known about Noah’s Park or the giant stone aliens in the Bible. I just want to know if the rumors are true about JJ Abrams doing a big Star Trek Vs Star Wars Vs Bible mashup. Wookies vs Hittites. Romans V Ewoks. Boba Fett gets chewed up by the Sarlaaac but gets spat out thee days later and ascends to the Death Star … but not before the Romulans double-cross everyone and run off with the cash.

And I heard the Bothan spies storyline is in this one. Fingers crossed.

Trac

Thank you for the help in proving my point Irish. He he.

Irish Sweetness

I heard they shelved Smith, no? They wanted some artistic license to shape Tagliabue’s character so they re-cast with Paul Sorvino and went another way with the story. In the new script, Sorvino whacks all the claimants and uncovers a Japanese Jihad Nazi plot on the twin towers. That they changed the suicide weapon to trebuchet connected to a seventies digital clock was also typical Hollywood.

The GP

Excellent post. See kids, this is how it’s done.

BearDown100393

The eyeball being scooped off the field and disposed in a plastic baggy was going a bit far.
Aw damn, wrong football movie.

Trac

The Patsy’s cut Guard Ryan Groy today. Wasn’t that the guy we swapped in a trade?

Irish Sweetness

If we sign him back and he ends up at RG, that’s genius.

Trac

Gotta say I’m really glad MB came back. This place just ain’t the same without you pal. It was kinda like going to the shitter with no toilet paper while you were gone. Hee hee.

MB30SD

thanks my brother. good to be back with all you motherfuckers. Love you alls

Irish Sweetness

We are apparently all akin to fecal matter spread about the anterior of the human backside, according to Trac. In my case that’s perfectly accurate, but I’m wondering how the rest of you feel about that ….

Shea needs another one of those days where he makes Rodgers his biznatch

Waffle

Yes. Rodgers must die for McCarthys transgression

Johnnywad

Channeling his inner Rex Ryan? He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by that bullshit.

BerwynBomber

Yeah, seems stupid. Why?

Big Mike

My guess is the Pack is non-motivated to play our sorry ass team. He’s jacking them up.

CanadaBear

Unless someone KO’s Erin early, I don’t see how the Beloved win this one. With the back 4 and the ILB’s sucking pond water, it’s going to be a bad, bad thing.

Big Mike

Run the ball, score 3-4 times, control clock, win turnover battle. Few penalties. In other words everything has to go right

BerwynBomber

They can be had. The No-Jordy thing will take them a few games to adjust to and their WR depth isn’t all that nor usually is their D (and reports say their O-line has been a MASH unit). But yeah, their magical wizard of a QB could still screw us as he so often does.

CanadaBear

I just can’t see Erin not lighting up our back 4 and over the middle with our crappy ILB’s. Unless Erin has a bad day I’m guessing they put up at least 40 on the Beloved. If they get Lacey going, it will be worse. I doubt we hit 40 all year.

Trac

Dude, is everything ok?

Big Mike

I’m good. Just speculating on why McCarthy, who never says jack, is saying things. His players could be overlooking us..

Trac

You just sounded forlorn. Must have read that wrong.

Big Mike

Nah that was my take on what the packers players must think of us

Irish Sweetness

Hope springs eternal indeed, but only if someone like that OG Moore goes in at RG and Kyle moves out. Mills will bring this offense down like Omelette and JWebb did. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and if that link is called Ola or Mills, we are in a world of trouble.

Also, the Texans let Louis Nix go. That was fast. I remember the blog drooling over the kid coming out of ND. A true 0-tech NT, the Texans garbage now that they have Wilfork may be something we could use.

i wanted Timu because he reminded me a bit of Pisa. Both aggressive and played downhill. But then Jonathan Anderson kept making play after play after play. You want a crazy Samoan linebacker with a huge ponytail….but you just can’t avoid seeing the plays that Anderson kept making.

Irish Sweetness

We have too much talent at OLB. Anderson will be claimed and could start on most teams.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

you put way too much stock in preseason performances against backups. He was a UDFA who never cracked even the 2nd string in Chicago.

Irish Sweetness

Christian Okoye – The Nigerian Nightmare – is up on A Football Life on the 18th. The young ones should look in …

Hate to say it but a couple of his runs against us in that highlight were pretty awesome too.

No fun to admit but hard to go wrong with highlights of Rodgers, AP or Megatron. Though in fariness, same could be said of Lach.

BerwynBomber

UCLA True Frosh Josh Rosen looking like the goods. Interesting that like Brees he had a pretty serious tennis background.

MB30SD

good jewish boy huh?

BerwynBomber

Yeah, the Chosen Rosen is what they call him. Kid looks fantastic. Just wonder if he will fill out or even stretch a bit more.

Then again, at one point Pickles himself was one of these QB prodigies. So we’ll see.

MB30SD

hahahaha… the chosen rosen. Classic.

Trac

Yup, He Rosen!

Trac

Chiefs cut OT Derek Sherrod.

BerwynBomber

Ex-Cheese dude?

Trac

2011 2nd rounder. Bad knee.

Shady

Help. Dog got completely hosed by a skunk last night. Roommate let dog inside w/ out realizing. Dog ran all over the inside. Place smells beyond putrid. I THOUGHT I knew what polecat smelled like, but I had no fucking clue just how bad it is. I stepped in residual stank oil. Destroyed several socks and shoes already. Couch is gone. What the fuck guys?

Trac

Move. Hahaha

Shady

Has that happened to you?

Trac

No but I have never heard anyone getting skunk oil in the house.

Trac

I think you just have to wait it out.

Waffle

Shady, you may have to get that shit professionally cleaned….

I have no clue how to address this.

Shady

It’s everywhere and everything. It’s even in the raccoon wounds.

Waffle

Shady, i suggest you drink heavily until the situation resolves itself. I will send a courier to your home with a bottle of Tradewind….it’s opened and we took down about 30% of it but it’s the thought that counts.

Shady

Even the mighty trade winds couldn’t erase this bog of eternal stench.

Had a few buck in my leftover football account from last year and i decided that i would pad my 2015 NFL bankroll.
I bet on Nebraska and Penn State in a 2 game parlay and proceeded to watch Penn State lose to Temple and Nebraska lose to BYU by somehow missing 2 field goals including one with 48 seconds left while they were WINNING by ONE!!!! BYU proceeded to take over at the 20, somehow get to the 50 and on 4th down score on a hail mary even though all defenders were in Prevent….and the backup QB threw it.

4ever, nice job on the post draft analysis on our league overview. Good stuff.

Irish Sweetness

Delighted to see Tayo and Cameron Meredith make the roster. Disappointed that we cut Williams and Anderson to keep guys like Bryce Callahan, Tracy Porter and Demontre Hust. We don’t need Hurst over Terry Williams. We have ONE nose tackle on the roster.

Only thee guards on the roster, so maybe they’re looking to pick up guys from waivers.

Tayo to RT please. Yes, he was playing against 2s and 3s against Cleveland, but he was effective doing it. No pressure allowed.

Yep. That’s what a rebuild looks like in year one. I looked at the final cut list and didn’t recognize half the names. Then I looked at the official roster and it wasn’t much better. That defensive roster feels almost like a scout team.

Irish Sweetness

I think some of our best defensive players were backups.

We didn’t allow a single point in the second half of each pre-season game. Our pass-rushing looks effective. In fact we cut some pretty good players in Anderson and Williams. We should be solid. This is a completely different defense this year, can’t wait to see them turned loose on Green Bay.

Johnnywad

From your lips to God’s ears.

I didn’t watch a single snap of preseason ball so I’m not really in position to think out loud yet.

Irish Sweetness

I think anyone who missed the PS games will be surprised when they see these guys. I wouldn’t be surprised if our inside LBs lose their jobs to the 2nd string. We have quality pass-rushers and plenty of them, with ballhawks to come in on passing downs. We’re going to be able to mess with Rodgers, finally.

http://www.dabearsbeat.com/ Johnathan Wood

the backups were better than other teams’ backups. Doesn’t mean they’d be good against starters.

MB30SD

Bingo.

Trac

Bam!!!

MB30SD

Pow!!!!

Trac

Hahaha. My son loves it when I say that.

MB30SD

Zing!

Trac

But that does mean Fox is being successful at building some solid depth. That’s no small accomplishment.

Irish Sweetness

There’s always a negative to be found, but not allowing the opponent to score in the second half of each PS game speaks volumes. Our backup LBs have quite frankly just looked quicker and more instinctive than our starters. This is depth (at LB). I think we’ll run amok in week one, on offense and defense (and quite possibly ST). If Tayo is out there at RT …. icing on the cake.

Trac

For those that were belly aching about the trade with NE, now you should be able to see why Fox did it. Groy didn’t have a spot on the roster, it’s as simple as that.

Seahawks think the Kam chancellor situation is serious enough to warrant trading a 5th round pick for a safety. He’d be the missing piece on the chess board for me. We look good up front.

Should POX be in there hard ?

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

For a 5th, fuck ya.
We just gave away a 6th for a 3rd string TE.

I’m usually not for paying for a S (look at Byrd), but KAM is a baller and leader, and we need both desperately.

Irish Sweetness

Nah, the 5th was for the guy they got off the Chiefs.

Sactowns#1

Hola from NOLA bitches!!

CanadaBear

Have a great time and be safe. Pretty dangerous city.

MichiganBearFan

Where the liquor is cheap and the pavement warm…

CanadaBear

Not sure why Dickerson has been in such a hurry to dump Young. I get that he might be more valuable to a team that plays a 4-3 but we will have tons of opportunities to rush the passer this year.

EnderWiggin

I think the biggest surprise for me, so far, is keeping Bostic over Foster. A close second would be keeping Meredith over Lawrence.

MB30SD

these real coaches (finally) obviously see my maings. I am very happy to give them the benny of the doubt.

Let’s not anoint practice squad heroes (ahem… irish) just yet. We have to believe these guys know what they’re doing since ever single major coach has a verified, factual history of success in their career and in their last gig.

BerwynBomber

Of course, though Lawrence appeared the best of the no name WRs, albeit with the disclaimer that I only caught roughly half of the pre-season action.

Irish Sweetness

Meredith was awesome. Caught everything thrown at him bar one I think. Bellamy looked good too. In fact, so did Ify – check out Fales under pressure to Ify in the corner. Awesome throw, catch, and tippy-toe.

EnderWiggin

Yeah man! I trust them 100% (for now). Those were just my surprises.

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

Timu already looks better than bostic or greene. Washington and Jenkins looked stout on the dline. Amazing what real coaching can do

SC Dave

Who? Bostic? A waste of a roster space.

MB30SD

wooooow

BearDown100393

Bostic looks great when he blows up complete air

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

I’m done w bostic. Dudes a liability in pass coverage. Nit saying foster is the answer, but hey, at least we kept Timu

Irish Sweetness

I can’t figure why they let Lawrence go over Wilson. You want a big guy with hands … Ify.

Or Demontre Hurst over Terry Williams when we have one NT on the roster?

RenoBear

Happy trails, Jordan Mills. Heal up and develop elsewhere

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

Mills is gone? Holy crap.
His foot must’ve been really bad to not even stick around as a swing tackle.

RenoBear

I guess Bears just told him ‘we’re going in a different direction ‘ .. Probably too erratic in pass coverage for what they are trying to do

EnderWiggin

Out with the Mills development, in with the Fabuluje?

RenoBear

I’m curious to see. Or Long to RT and Ducasse at RG. Or they signed some RT from Tampa who started 16 games, Omamameh or something, but he was part of a unit that gave up 53 sacks last year.. I’m sure they have a plan, looks like it will be developing on the fly

http://t.co/MsJnMxjrmd 4ever85!(AKA, ButchDeadLift)

I wouldn’t mind seeing that until both fab and grassu becone a bit more pro ready

Irish Sweetness

Abso-fucking-lutely. That beautiful big bastard.

Irish Sweetness

His backup played lights out against the Browns is what’s up.

AlbertInTucson

He only regressed since a nice start in his rookie season. New regime had no investment in him.

Exactly. He has only regressed, mostly in the passing game. I was just trying to be positive as everything I’ve read has been that he’s a real stand-up high character guy. Just doesn’t fit w what POX is trying to do…. Like pass block

Irish Sweetness

Hallelujah!

Now, Tayo to Right Tackle. Nice to see our coaches were paying attention.

AlbertInTucson

Packers supposedly to re-sin James Jones. Hope he remembers how to fumble in key situations against the Bears.

Trac

It’s a desperate reach. The Packers just got worse.

Irish Sweetness

I can’t believe it. We’re finally to going to kick their asses again.

We’re gonna party like it’s 1987.

AlbertInTucson

He was one of Peanut’s favorite punch-out targets.

Trac

I guess with the holiday weekend and our fearful leader juggling pints in the land of the little people, we’ll just have to wait on a new thread covering the roster cuts and selections.

MikeBrownhadaPosse

Two things about Kam.
First, the trade for a safety was about leverage.
Two, the EsPN report I saw was that the Giants were sniffing around but the Hawks are asking for two high round picks, allegedly at least a first and a third unless I misread the article.
Not happening. I will soil myself with joy of it does but he is not moving unless it’s to a non NFC contender with a small window, lots of cap space and a terrible safety situation.

Trac

That move was strictly for insurance just in case Kam doesn’t sign before the season starts. I’ll be shocked if Kam doesn’t sign a deal with the sqawks.

Irish Sweetness

I was actually thinking I’d give up a first and a third for him ….. like …. fuck it.

Trac

I don’t get it. How is Jones a good signing? Two teams cut him and one of them threw a bunch of money down the drain before doing so. Sounds like a desperation move by the cheese to me.